Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 97: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of whole school evaluations completed at post-primary level to date in 2006; the projected number to be completed over the course of 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13365/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In the first three months of this year, the inspectorate of my Department has issued 14 whole-school evaluation reports on post-primary schools. The majority of these reports follow whole-school evaluation inspections conducted towards the end of 2005. In 2006 the inspectorate has planned to conduct a total of 273 whole-school evaluations in primary and post-primary schools, 57 of which will be in post-primary schools. I have recently put in place arrangements for the publication of school inspection reports that arise from the general inspection programme for schools. The new provision for public access to certain types of inspection reports, including whole-school evaluation reports, applies to inspections commenced after 6 February 2006.

At post-primary level, nine whole-school evaluations from the 2006 programme of inspections were commenced before 6 February and will be issued to the individual schools only. In fact, five of these reports have already been issued to the schools. The new regulations will apply to 48 whole-school evaluations at post-primary level in 2006, and reports on all of these schools will be published on the Department's website. It is anticipated that up to six post-primary whole-school evaluation reports will be published before the end of June this year.

Whole-school evaluation contributes to school improvement through identifying, evaluating, affirming and supporting good practice in schools. Soon after the in-school evaluation activity of a whole-school evaluation has been concluded, the inspection team meets with the staff of the school and with the full board of management to present the findings and recommendations of the whole-school evaluation. Around five weeks after the last day of inspection a written report is made available to the principal and chairperson of the school for factual verification. The finalised whole-school evaluation report is issued to the school three weeks later and the school is invited to prepare a response to the report through the board of management. The provision for a school response to the whole-school evaluation report is new and I believe that it provides an excellent opportunity for schools to reflect on the school's strengths and to identify the practical steps the school will take in addressing any areas for improvement. I hope that schools will avail of this opportunity to have a school perspective included as an appendix to the published whole-school evaluation report.

I am confident that the initiatives I have taken, in consultation with the education partners, on the publication of inspection reports will be beneficial to teachers and schools, will be welcomed by parents and the wider public, and will be a valuable support in the quality assurance of our education system.